TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Foreign Listings for Residences

Re: Foreign Listings for Residences

UHF (uhf@*newsguy.com)
Thu, 03 May 2007 12:38:07 -0500

On Wed, 2 May 2007 07:09:04 -0400, Fred Atkinson
<fatkinson@mishmash.com> wrote:

>>> Everyone should have the right to have their number properly listed
>>> if they so choose to do so.

>> I'm sorry, but I don't have sympathy for your position. In another
>> post in this digest issue, we learn that the phone company is losing
>> money. Accordingly, I don't see any "rights" for non customers.

> The fact that you are paying them for the listing *makes* them a
> customer so I see no merit to your argument.

> Whether or not the phone company is losing money doesn't even enter
> into the argument.

>> Tell your carrier to publish a phone book. Or tell your carrier to
>> provide Directory Assistance operators 24/7 with good salaries and
>> benefits. Obviously it would be too costly for your carrier to do
>> so, which is how your carrier is giving you a break on price.

> So, you really think that every phone company should distribute a
> phone book to every home in every locality they serve? Can you
> imagine how many phone books would be stacked up in your house? Even
> if they do it, it wouldn't be practical.

> And the different major telephone companies share their directory
> assistance databases with each other.

> And you are wrong about it being too costly. It's not practical
> since the local companies make it so difficult to get other listings in
> it.

>>> The poor customer should not be at the mercy of the telephone
>>> company to get their foreign listing made.

>> Sorry, but you are not a customer of "the telephone company" anymore.
>> You chose to leave to get a better deal elsewhere.

> As I have already pointed out, the fact that you are paying them
> for the listing *makes* you a customer. The way I've always
> understood it, if you take money from someone or some entity for
> providing goods or service you become a customer.

>>> It is a monopoly and the telephone company should not be able to
>>> pick and choose who can or cannot be listed.

>> It is absolutely not a monopoly as shown by other posts. It is a
>> competitive business and should be able to do as it pleases. Why
>> should it help competition take business from it? Does Macy's tell
>> Gimbel's? If you go into a store, do they tell you if their
>> competition has the same goods at a cheaper price?

> AT&T used to do what it pleased all the time. Do you remember the
> result of that?

> You can say it isn't a monopoly if you want to, that doesn't make
> it so. But from the standpoint of when AT&T owned the Bell companies
> they *were* a monopoly. Only the phone book is not? And if they'd
> market it right (and not lose so much by losing time and effort from
> not knowing how to handle services that they do indeed provide),
> probably could do it cheaper themselves.

>> This reminds me of when people had trouble with MCI or Sprint in their
>> early days that they simply were told to use AT&T. In other words,
>> AT&T had to be the one with sufficient capacity for high volume and
>> staff (operators, customer service). MCI and Sprint had none of that,
>> which enabled their rates to be lower.

> I don't think that this even compares. There's a big difference
> between providing a telephone network and providing a book.

>> Likewise now. Why should regular telephone customers subsidize your
>> special needs?

> No one is asking them to. Your are paying them for the listing.
> That makes you a customer and you *are* paying them. I wish I could
> make two dollars per month per thousands of customers for simply
> adding a listing in a database so I could charge other telephone
> subscribers for giving out that number to them.

>>> I will write a letter to the Georgia Public Service Commission
>>> requesting assistance in getting this matter cleared up if they do
>>> not have a resolution for me in the next few days.

>> As I understand it, directory publishing is not a regulated service.

> Really? Then how come I always get a resolution when I take this
> issue up with them? Let me tell you that it works.

> Regards,

> Fred

You chose to use an internet provider, not a phone company. AFAIK
VoIP isn't a regulated "telephone service". If it is imperative that
you are in the phone book, then why don't you just get a real phone
line? I do not feel sorry for anyone that has problems with VoIP.
It's cheap for a reason.

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